STATEMENT OF SENATOR WIN GATCHALIAN ON THE P3.757-TRILLION NATIONAL BUDGET IMPASSE

Si Pangulong Duterte na mismo ang nagsabi na hindi niya pipirmahan ang illegal na budget kaya kailangang sumunod ang House of Representatives sa kung ano ang napag-usapan at nakapagkasunduan ng bicam committee. The county will be at the losing end if the 2019 budget will be further delayed.

The 2019 GAA needs to be enacted as soon as possible to prevent adverse implications on our macroeconomy and ensure that basic services provided to the public will not be affected. Based on our own internal computation, should the government continue to operate on a reenacted budget until August, the country's Gross Domestic Product for 2019 may slow to 6 percent - equivalent to a loss of P67.2 billion - from the original forecast of 6.7 percent.